


Book One - Inari

by unBEARable_jokes



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bending (Avatar), Gender Ambiguous Character, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Other, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Sarcasm, Slow Burn, Spirits, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, smartass OC, you cant stop me, you thought that OFC stood for "original female character", you were wrong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27401446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unBEARable_jokes/pseuds/unBEARable_jokes
Summary: A mysterious servant finds themself upon Zuko's ship.Can they bend, NoIs they annoying, YesWhy has no one thrown them over board, cause their entertaining.
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/OFC, Zuko (Avatar)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1~ Off to find the ‘Avatar’

**Author's Note:**

> Iroh - What do you do when life gives you lemons  
> Zuko - sqeeze them into peoples eyes  
> Inari - dont read them until your 18

Wading through the ice bergs was a fire nation ship. One the deck of said ship stood a boy staring toward the bright burst of light. Behind him, his uncle and his servant are playing a game of pai sho, ignoring the light in favor of their game.

“Finally. Do you two realize what this means?”

Zuko stepped toward the two demanding their attention from the game.

“I wont get to finish my game”

Iroh said disappointed as he put down one last chip.

“We’ll get a pretty light show”

Inari quipped with false excitement.

“It means my search is about to come to an end.”

Zuko looked back toward the light.

“Here we go again”

Inari almost comically slumped back. A sigh escaped from Iroh.

“That light came from an incredibly powerful source, it has to be him”

Zuko demanded, angry as he tried to convince the two.

“Or it's just the celestial lights, we've been down this road before prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please sit, why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea.”

Iroh tried calming down his nephew.

“I don't need any tea. I need to capture the avatar. Helmsman, head a course for the light.”

Zuko was now full out yelling and demanded that they set course for the pillar of light.

~***~

It was now much later into the evening and Zuko stood alone on the funnel deck. He stood in silence as the ship made its way closer to where the pillar of light once was. But the silence was awkwardly interrupted by his uncle trying to coax him to bed.

“I’m going to bed now. Yawn Yep, a man needs his rest. Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right, and the avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, your grandfather, and great grandfather all tried and failed.”

“Because their honor didn't hinge on the avatars capture. Mine does. This cowards' hundred years in hiding are over.”

Zuko stubbornly stayed while his uncle gave up and dejectedly walked back down. His face lighting up a little when he saw Inari was making his way up the stairs to his nephew. Their face, while still adoring the usual smirk, held a well hidden glint of determination. Walking past Iroh and making his way much closer to the banished prince.

“Yes, please stay up all night. You're sure to be able to capture the avatar when you're sleep deprived.”

Zuko was not charmed by the sarcasm, and was about to push him away as well. But was quickly cut off. Inari put their hand on his arm and looked at him with a genuine smile. Not the cocky smirk that hardly left his face. It stunned Zuko into silence.

“Look if you go to bed now, then you won't be running on fumes when we reach the avatar. Think how bad it would be if you were to fall asleep mid fight.”

That cocky smirk was back on their face before they even finished the sentence. Zuko harshly pushed Inari's hand off of him and stormed down into the ship towards his room.

“GOOD NIGHT” 

Inari yelled out, a little too proud that they were able to get the stubborn prince to move.

~***~

“AGAIN”

Iroh shouted. And on his command the fighting started. Inari could feel it from his place on the side lines. They stood a little behind Iroh and simply setting up some food. But they could still feel the heat from the attacks. The fight did not last long, as it wasn't long before Inari heard Iroh teaching again, sounding a bit disappointed.

“No. Power and firebending come from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire! Get it right this time.”

“Enough. I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I’m more than ready.” 

Zuko demanded.

“No! You're impatient. You’ve yet to master your basics. Drill it again!”

Iroh held his ground.

From the heat that Inari felt and the sudden screaming of a crew mate it wasn't hard to put together that someone got about as roasted as this duck.

“The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over 100 years old by now. He’s had a century to master the four elements. I’ll need more than basic fire bending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!”

Zuko demanded once again.

“Very well. But first, I must finish my roast duck.”

Iroh went from serious to comical at an almost frightening speed. Much to his nephew's annoyance.


	2. Chapter 2 We actually found him.

It wouldn't be long until they made landfall at what remains of the Southern Water Tribe. It was a deafening silence as Inari dressed Zuko in his armor. But, because it’s Inari, it didn't last long.

“So let’s say the Avatar is here, what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get back?”. Inari asked, trying to lighten the mood. But while the question was said with good intentions, all it was met with was a glare. Inari pointedly ignored said glare as they fiddled with one of the many ties. 

“Aww come on, no need to be so serious, it was just a simple question. So come on, spill the tea. Got anything big you want to do once you get back?” 

Zuko, turned his glare to the ground. 

“In all honesty, I’ve never thought about it.” 

“Let me get this straight, you’ve been chasing the avatar for how many years now. And not once did you even think about what you would do once you get back to the Fire Nation.” 

Inari started with a chuckle. 

“Enough of this, are you finished!” 

Zuko demanded, ending the conversation. 

“Oh, I’ve been done for a while now. I was just trying to take your mind off the fact that you're about to fight a 100 year old master of all elements. By the way, didn't Avatar Kyoshi last like, 200 years or something.” 

They mused all with a shit eating grin on their face. Zuko pushed them away with a roar and stormed toward that door while releasing flames from his movements. The moment the door slammed shut, Inari could do nothing but stare at it with a solemn look. 

‘It's no secret that I would move mountains for Zuko should he ask it. But please, may the avatar not be there’.

~***~

Inari stood behind Zuko at the ship's entrance, surrounded by several other soldiers. From inside they could hear the destruction of the ice that the ship was causing. All they could do was hope that there wasn't too much collateral damage. Then all of a sudden it stopped, and silence took over them. It didn't last long, as soon the entrance finally opened and sunlight peeked through quickly extending over the party as the walkway lowered.

~***~

The remnants of the southern water tribe starred up at the ship that just destroyed half their home. Gasping in unison at what seemed to the bowsprite detach from the ship and become a walkway. What came out of the ship, an armoured man, with a burned face. Behind him were several soldiers that were hard to pick apart given their helms. But right behind the prince was a figure cloaked in orange and red robes and shaggy hair that covered most of their face. 

~***~

While following the prince down the walkway, Inari did their best to hide the fact that they were freezing their ass off. They grinned and beared it as best as they could, they doubted that they could get away with a comment on it given that it didn't seem to affect anybody else, or at least they were better at hiding it. Inari was pulled from their thoughts as a boy with a painted face charged at the group with a club. Zuko quickly disarmed him and kicked him away. For what should be a serious moment, it was very comical. As the Prince made it on to land, he walked forward and began silently searching through the crowd. 

“Where are you hiding him” 

Zuko finally spoke. When nobody spoke up, he roughly reached into the crowd and yanked an old woman forward. 

“he's about this age. Master of all elements” 

He yelled into the crowd and gestured to the old women as an example as he spoke. When the crowd continued to say nothing, he threw her back into the arms of a young girl. In a fit of anger he sent fire right above the crowd. 

“I know you're hiding him!” 

Zuko yelled into the crowd once more. It was at this point that Inari stopped paying attention. This was going to be like every other place they went only good for getting the prince's hopes up and leaving nothing but ashes when they inevitably found nothing. Inari was never fond of how Zuko handled things now, or especially who he’s becoming. It was such a far cry from the boy he knew, and swore to follow, no matter what. And right before Inari was about to get into a philosophical monologue about why they were here. He was drawn back to reality by a loud “KLANG!”. 

They turned their attention toward the sound. And it was easy to figure out what happened from the hunched figure of Zuko, the helm turned toward the side of his head, and the boomerang on the ground. At this, he couldn't help laugh at this. A snort that was quickly hidden from Inari broke through the silence. Zuko whipped his head away from the water tribe boy that attacked him and toward his servant. His anger reaching a peak, he created daggers from his flames and approached the watertribe boy. Only for a blur of orange and yellow to zoom past and knock down Zuko, landing face first in the snow. The children started cheering and eventually the speedy blur slowed down and Inari was finally able to get a good look at him. 

‘Fuck’. 

The penguin seal that the Air Nomad road in on threw him off and started waddling away. 

“Hey Katara, hey Sokka.”

unphased by the conflict he sled in on. 

“hi aang. Thanks for coming.” 

who Inari is gonna assume is Sokka, responded with not nearly as much enthusiasm as Aang. On his command, the soldiers spread out and started circling and enclosing Aang. Upon this, Aang started airbending and flinging the snow around him to cover the surrounding soldiers and prince. 

“looking for me.” 

his tone finally matching the severity of the situation. 

“You're the airbender? You're the avatar?” 

Zuko exclaimed with about as much confusion that is expected. 

“Aang?”. 

“No way”. 

Shocked silence rang through the area. Zuko was the one to break it. 

“I spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating. You're just a child.” 

“Well you're just a teenager.” 

Aang responded, confused at the insult. Refusing to adhere to the serious conversation,

“I like this kid.” 

Inari commented, which roused the kind of response that is expected at this point. 

“SHUT UP!” 

and he quickly shot fire at the avatar. Using his staff to block the fire, this process continued with them circling each other. But eventually while Aang was right in front of the crowd, it scared them. They panicked and screamed. 

“If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?”. 

All Aang got in response was a simple nod. The moment he surrendered, two fire nation soldiers pushed him toward the ship and took away his staff. 

“No aang don't do this” 

Katara called out. Aang looked back with nothing but a smile on his face. 

“Don't worry katara, it’ll be okay. Take care of Aapa for me until I get back.” 

“head a course for the fire nation. I'm going home.”

~***~

Sailing past the ice bergs, the fire nation ship was now far off from the southern water tribe. Zuko, Iroh, Inari, the avatar, and several soldiers now stood on the front deck. 

“This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks.

Take the avatar to the prison hold. And take this to my quarters.” 

Zuko demanded, handing off the staff to his uncle. The moment Zuko started walking off, Iroh turned to Inari 

“Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me.” 

Taking the staff 

“I’m on it.”

~***~

Inari was making his way back down the hall from Zuko’s room, towards the kitchen to help prepare. They were about half way down the hall when they saw a blur of yellow and light orange running toward them. 

“Take a left, last door on the right” 

Inari quickly called when the kid started getting closer. 

“Thank you”. 

_ Now let's hope the ship isn't in too much damage by the end of this. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some solider - why do you keep them around if they annoys you so much. youre the prince you could literally kill them.  
> zuko - fuck you dont tell me how to do my job

**Author's Note:**

> Iroh - When Life gives you lemons…  
> Zuko - Squeeze them into people's eyes  
> Inari - Don’t read them until your 18


End file.
